by justin kane

Waves of The Cinema + National Identity – Introduction

I am a cinefile. I was born a cinefile. My formal college education was in critical film theory, with an emphasis in production. Film academics presented me with the fascination of deciphering various interpretations of society, emotion, and self-reflexivity within the human condition. I actually spend most of my time studying the craft by doing what is best: watch, interpret, and give back. It’s all about the process by which a situation unfolds (or unravels). Film is my passion, my pleasure, and my greatest hobby.Good cinema is only presented when design, story, and performance are all together in a steady waltz that thumps the floor of the viewer’s heart. I will admit that simple cinema will easily receive my basic childlike enjoyment, but if I view a film that crosses boundaries or attempts innovation, I will lay a harsh critical eye upon it. Although there are many elements in film theory that fascinate me, there is one field of study that gets me beyond all: the categorization and identification of ideologies, diaspora, and form of World Cinema. No era, movement, or country can be exactly alike in storytelling, and the same follows in doing so on film. Treat it like an index of the periodic table of elements. The only strong elements in which one can identify a film is by where it comes from, and when.Many countries are individually known for the unique styles in which their filmmakers interpret how stories are told. Although the Classical Hollywood (for the west) or Modern Bollywood (for the east) movements are dominant in popular world society, there are many other movements or genres that hold their own special identities around the world.From here, I would like to praise other important movements in World Cinema. Follow me, as every week I will post a different country’s key cinematic traits that separate it from the rest. I shall explore their joys, their fears, their structures, and most importantly, their part in telling how different cultures interpret storytelling. I know I’m a geek, but this is super cool…Stay tuned!